for always
by ulstergirl
Summary: Nancy and Ned have been best friends for her entire life. Then, one night, that changes.


**This prompt is from otpprompts on tumblr: _Your OTP are not yet together. They are playfully wrestling/tickling each other and Person A is on top of Person B when B calls a truce. They take a moment to catch their breath, and Person A doesn't move one bit, lost in Person B's eyes. Person A then realizes they might have feelings for B and they go in for a kiss. Whether B's reaction is positive or not is up to you._**

**Story is a little bit AU.**

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><p>They've been doing it so long that the second bedroom on the right is unofficially <em>hers<em>.

Ned's mother had met Nancy's mother when Ned had been a baby and Nancy hadn't yet been born. They had become friends, and Nancy had known Ned for so long that she didn't even remember what it had been like _not_ to be friends with him. They had played together when they were toddlers. When Nancy's father was out of town, to give Hannah a break, sometimes Edith invited Nancy over to spend the night.

Mrs. Nickerson and Mr. Nickerson, and Nancy's father, had all made it very clear that once it was time to go to bed, Nancy was supposed to stay in _the other bedroom_ and not go see Ned, and she could vaguely remember obeying that rule a long time ago. But some nights they snuck downstairs to play a few more races on Ned's video game console, or to go out into the backyard and look up at the stars, or continue work on a Lego fort. Sometimes, when it was very late and they were both heavy-eyed with exhaustion, Nancy would whisper it.

"Ned? Tell me about my mom…"

Even though they only remembered her in brushstrokes and suggestions, Ned had been a little older and he could remember her better. Nancy sometimes felt bitter with jealousy over it, but it was so comforting to hear him tell her again. Mrs. Nickerson told Nancy stories sometimes too, but when Ned talked to her she could _see_ it, almost.

He was her best friend, and he had been for as long as she could remember. She kept a couple of outfits in the Nickersons' spare bedroom but she grinned when he offered to loan her a sweatshirt or a t-shirt to change into after their games of basketball or touch football with his other friends. She loved his family. She hated when her father was out of town, but staying at the Nickersons' helped make it a little better.

One Friday night in early December, Nancy was staying at Ned's house for the weekend. They hadn't seen each other for any real length of time in almost three weeks, and when Hannah had dropped her off and Ned had opened the door to greet her, Nancy had felt a tingling rush of undeniable pleasure at seeing the smile on his face. She had missed him, but of course she had. He was her best friend and she felt sad when she didn't see him often.

The house was decorated for Christmas; the Nickersons loved the holiday, and Nancy did too. Ned's mother had put a tree in the living room and another in the den, strung with twinkling lights and velvet ribbon. The house smelled like pine and warmth, and Ned's parents had settled in the living room so the four of them could watch a movie together. Nancy and Ned hadn't been able to agree on what to watch, so they were in the den, scanning the impressive movie collection.

"_How the Grinch Stole Christmas."_

_"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," _Nancy countered, scrunching up her nose.

"_Miracle on 34th Street."_

"Just don't pick _It's a Wonderful Life._"

"Oh? How many times did we watch _A Christmas Story_ last year?"

Nancy spotted a movie and pulled it off the shelf, twirling away from Ned with a grin on her face. "Got it!"

"Got what?" Ned countered, making a feint for it.

Nancy laughed and danced out of his armspan, but he was quick; he managed to grab her sleeve and tug her. They tumbled onto the couch together, and when Nancy was sprawled on top of him, she couldn't deny how warm and solid he felt under her, or how nice he smelled. Then Ned made another grab for the video she held, and Nancy twisted away, dissolving into laughter when Ned reversed their positions and began to tickle her. His fingertips grazed against her waist, the bare strip of skin where her shirt had slid up, and she squirmed and laughed in breathless gasps.

"Stop, stop! Truce!"

"You mean it?"

She nodded, blue eyes wide. "Truce."

And it was something about the softness in his gaze, the warmth and comfort and safety of his home and his arms, the twinkling lights on the tree in the corner, her happiness at seeing him again. She had known him for years—sometimes they joked that they had known each other since before she was even born—and he was _her Ned_, that was it, just _hers_, and sure, sometimes she was jealous when other girls paid attention to him, but it didn't mean anything. Because none of them knew him the way she did. He was her best friend, and…

And when he moved back a little so she could sit up, before she could think about it, before she could talk herself out of it, she sat up and reached up for him, and brushed her lips against his.

The kiss was brief, too brief, but a heartbeat too long to be shrugged off. Nancy released him, her lips still parted, and brought her wide-eyed gaze to his.

His dark eyes were glowing as he searched hers.

He had been cute when they were little, always eager to keep up with her, protective as a big brother. He had been there for her when her mother had died. He had always been there for her. And somehow, right in front of her, he had become a handsome, confident seventeen-year-old guy. She just hadn't been able to see it until tonight. She had always found ways to excuse and dismiss her jealousy and possessiveness over him, until tonight.

Ned leaned forward again and she sighed in relief just before his lips touched hers. That kiss was slow and sweet, and a wave of heat crashed over her when his tongue traced the seam of her lips. Her lashes fluttered up when he pulled back.

"I've been waiting so long for that," he murmured.

She smiled, the echo of her pulse still pounding in her ears. "Was it worth it?"

"Nancy! Ned!" his mother called, and both of them turned toward her voice. "Need a tiebreaker?"

Nancy scooped up the movie she had plucked off the shelf and began to push herself to her feet. "Coming!" she called back.

Ned scrambled up too, catching up with her—and he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze before they crossed back into the living room.

"Yeah," he murmured, his dark eyes intense as he gazed at her. "It was."


End file.
